I am convinced that the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit in all history will be released just before Jesus’ Second Coming. The body of Christ will participate in the greatest revival ever to occur in the generation in which the Lord returns. In this great revival the Holy Spirit will release the types of miracles recorded in Acts and Exodus, combined and multiplied on a global scale.
How do I know? Because the Bible contains many promises related to the end times. And it tells us that Jesus is coming back for “a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27).
Before we continue, I want to take a moment to define what I mean by the two terms “the last days” and “the end times.” The last days began on the Day of Pentecost and will continue until the second coming of Jesus. The phrase “the end times” refers to the final decades of the “last days.” I use the term “the end times” synonymously with the phrase “the generation in which the Lord returns.”
The biblical promises show us that we can expect to witness various expressions of revival in the end times. I will identify five:
1) We will see the emergence of a victorious, unified, anointed church that is full of God’s glory. Jesus prayed, “that they [the church] may be made perfect in one,” so that the world may know that the Father sent Jesus (John 17:22-23).
2) The church will live in love, humility and purity as believers live their lives according to Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7).
3) We will see a great end-time harvest from every nation, tribe and tongue. I expect this great ingathering of souls to exceed one billion new souls coming to Jesus (Rev. 7:9-14).
4) The spirit of prophecy will operate in the church and rest on every believer (Acts 2:17).
5) The church will fulfill its primary calling to win the lost and build His church—a kingdom community expressing the two great commandments to love God and people and fully engaging in the Great Commission (Matt. 22:37-39; 28:19-20).
We must embrace a tension as we contend in prayer for the full release of these prophetic promises of revival; we are to operate in a partial release of God’s power now while also continuing to earnestly pray for a historic breakthrough of the fullness of the Spirit.
Some who pray for a historic outpouring lose sight of ministering in the power of God in the present. And some who are currently ministering to people on a regular basis lose sight of contending in intercession for a historic breakthrough of the fullness of all God has planned. They pour out all their energy in the present and do not have the faith, energy or desire to contend for a greater breakthrough in the future.
We can walk in the measure that God has ordained for us now as well as seeking for the fullness of what He has in store. We can heal the sick and win many to Jesus now, even before the time when great multitudes will come to Jesus in the end-time revival.
We are to take hold of God’s power today while we contend for the fullness for tomorrow. In other words, we can have a “present-tense relationship” with Jesus and at the same time pray for and anticipate the fullness of what God has promised.
As we look toward 2015, let’s take hold of God’s power today and contend for His fullness in the days to come.
Adapted from Growing in Prayer by Mike Bickle, copyright 2014, published by Passio. This book will help you develop a passionate life of prayer so that you can grow as you talk with God, hear Him respond to you and be confident that your prayers are valuable to Him and will make a difference in the world. To order your copy click here.
Prayer Power for the Week of Dec. 29, 2014
In anticipation for 2015 this week, thank God for His faithfulness to you this year and in previous years. Thank Him that He was there with you through all your trials and afflictions as well as celebrations. Tell Him that you know He will continue to be faithful, bless and provide for the future. Ask Him to prepare and position you for His great outpouring and thank Him for keeping you through thick and thin. Continue to pray and believe for worldwide revival beginning in our own nation and among our own leaders. Ask the Lord for more laborers for His harvest fields.
Pray that Israel would fulfill God’s purpose in this hour, that we as believers would stand united to achieve God’s will and expand His kingdom in these crucial times, and that we would take hold of His power today and contend for His fullness in days to come (John 17:22-23; Matt. 28:19-20; Rev. 7:9-14)
